Circle-Vision 360°
View of the 360-degree cinema (Mittersill, Austria)

A Circarama 360° camera rig, using 16 mm cameras, displayed at the Walt Disney Family Museum

Circle-Vision 360° is a film format developed by The Walt Disney Company that uses projection screens which encircle the audience.[1]

Circle-Vision 360° developed from the Circarama format, which uses eleven 16 mm projectors.[2][3] The first Circarama film was A Tour of the West (1955).[2][4] For the film Italia '61, the number of cameras was reduced to nine, and the 16 mm film was shown using 35 mm projectors.[2][3][4] In 1965, Circle-Vision 360° made its official debut, in a nine-camera, 35 mm format.[2][4] At least one reason for the renaming from Circarama was objections by the owners of Cinerama to the similarity between the two names.[5]

In both the Circarama and Circle-Vision 360° formats, the screens are arranged in a circle around the audience, with small gaps between the screens. The number of screens (eleven or nine) being odd results in a gap being opposite of each screen in the circle. The projectors are placed in these gaps, above the heads of the viewers. Railings are sometimes provided to steady the audience members while viewing the film. The cameras and projection systems for both Circarama and Circle-Vision 360° were designed by longtime Disney animator and visual effects pioneer Ub Iwerks.[6] Circle-Vision 360° cameras have been mounted on top of automobiles for travelog scenes. For The Timekeeper (1992), static cameras and CGI effects were used.[3]

At one time, every one of the Disney Resorts then open had at least one Circle-Vision 360° theater.[5] The Epcot theme park has the only two still operating as of 2025.[5][a] Circarama and Circle-Vision 360° films have also been featured at various world's fairs.[4][5]

Circarama and Circle-Vision 360° films

A Tour of the West and the original 1958 version of America the Beautiful were shot in Circarama. Italia '61 was filmed in 16 mm and billed as a Circarama film, but was shown using nine 35 mm projectors. All other films in the table were shot in Circle-Vision 360°.

TitleYearPremiere locationLength (minutes)ContributorsSponsorNotes
A Tour of the West1955Disneyland12American MotorsAka Circarama U.S.A.
America the Beautiful1958Expo 5816[5] or 18[7]Producer: James AlgarWriter: James AlgarFord
Italia '611961Expo 61Executive producer: Roberto de LeonardisDirector: Elio PicconFiatDon Iwerks, son of Ub Iwerks, trained the crew, and stayed on to assist throughout the filming.[6]
Magic of the Rails1964[A]Expo 64Designer: Ernst A. HeinigerSwiss Federal RailwaysAka Magie du rail and Zauber de Schiene.
America the Beautiful1967Disneyland18AT&TReshot and expanded version of the 1958 film.
Canada '671967Expo 6718Director: Robert Barclay[8]Telephone Association of Canada
Magic Carpet 'Round the World1974Magic Kingdom21Monsanto
America the Beautiful1975Magic KingdomMonsantoVersion of the 1958 film revised for the United States Bicentennial.
O Canada!1982Epcot Center18Narrator: Corey Burton
Wonders of China1982Epcot CenterDirector: Jeff BlythNarrator: Keye Luke[9]
Magic Carpet 'Round the World1983Tokyo DisneylandRevised version of the 1974 film.
American Journeys1984DisneylandPacific Southwest Airlines
Portraits of Canada1986Expo 86Telecom CanadaAka Images du Canada.
Le Visionarium1992Disneyland Paris18Director: Jeff BlythActors include Gérard DepardieuRenaultAka Un voyage à travers le temps and From Time to Time.
The Timekeeper1994Magic Kingdom18Director: Jeff BlythVoice actors: Robin Williams,Rhea PerlmanOther actors include Jeremy IronsRenaultEnglish version of Le Visionarium. Incorporates parts of Magic Carpet 'Round the World.
Reflections of China2003Epcot12[10]Director: Jeff Blyth
O Canada!2007EpcotNarrator: Martin ShortMusical score: Bruce Broughton,featuring Eva Avila[11]Revised and updated version of the 1982 film.
Canada Far and Wide2020Epcot12[12]Narrators: Catherine O'Hara,Eugene LevyMusical score: Andrew Lockington
Wondrous ChinaTBAEpcot
  1. ^Year of release is sometimes given as 1965.[2][4]

Sources:[2][4][5]

Circarama and Circle-Vision 360° theaters

The theaters at Expo 58 and Disneyland were built as Circarama theaters. The latter would be upgraded to the Circle-Vision 360° system. Although the theater at Expo 61 predated the use of the Circle-Vision 360° name, it used nine 35 mm projectors. All other theaters in the tables were built as Circle-Vision 360° theaters.

Disney theme parks

Years in parentheses after a film title indicate the versions of the movie shown at the theater.

ParkLocation in parkFormal namesOpenedClosedFilms shownSponsorsReplaced by
DisneylandTomorrowlandCircaramaCircle-Vision 360°World Premiere Circle-VisionJuly 17, 1955September 25, 2000[A]A Tour of the WestAmerica the Beautiful (1958, 1967, 1975)American JourneysWonders of ChinaAmerican MotorsAT&T/Bell SystemPacific Southwest AirlinesDelta Air LinesBuzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
Magic KingdomTomorrowlandCircle-Vision 360°Metropolis Science CenterNovember 25, 1971February 26, 2006America the Beautiful (1967, 1975)Magic Carpet 'Round the World (1974)American JourneysThe TimekeeperMonsantoBlack & DeckerMonsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
EpcotWorld Showcase (Canada Pavilion)October 1, 1982n/aO Canada! (1982, 2007)Canada Far and Widen/a
World Showcase (China Pavilion)October 1, 1982n/aWonders of ChinaReflections of ChinaWondrous China[B]n/a
Tokyo DisneylandTomorrowlandCircle-Vision 360°VisionariumApril 15, 1983September 1, 2002Magic Carpet 'Round the World (1983)American JourneysFrom Time to TimeFujifilmBuzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
Disneyland ParisDiscoverylandLe VisionariumApril 12, 1992September 6, 2004Le VisionariumRenaultBuzz Lightyear Laser Blast
  1. ^From 1997 to 2000, the theater was part of the Rocket Rods attraction.
  2. ^Upcoming.

Expos

ExpoCityLocation at ExpoOpenedClosedFilmSponsor
Expo 58Brussels, BelgiumUnited States PavilionApril 17, 1958October 19, 1958America the BeautifulFord
Expo 61Turin, ItalyFiat Circarama PavilionMay 1, 1961October 31, 1961Italia '61Fiat
Expo 64Lausanne, SwitzerlandTransportation PavilionApril 30, 1964October 25, 1964Magic of the RailsSwiss Federal Railways
Expo 67Montreal, CanadaTelephone PavilionApril 28, 1967October 29, 1967[A]Canada '67[A]Telephone Association of Canada
Expo 86Vancouver, CanadaTelecom Canada PavilionMay 2, 1986October 13, 1986Portraits of CanadaTelecom Canada
  1. ^ abAmerica the Beautiful was shown at the extant theater in 1970.

See also

Note

  1. ^A third theater at Epcot shows Impressions de France (1982), which was shot using five cameras, and is projected on screens comprising 200° of a circle.[2][5]

References

  1. ^Gennawey, Sam (2014). The Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney's Dream. Keen Communications. pp. 108–109. ISBN 978-1-62809-012-3.
  2. ^ abcdefgSherlock, Daniel J. "Wide Screen Movies Corrections"(PDF). pp. 19–20. Archived(PDF) from the original on March 9, 2008. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  3. ^ abcStrodder, Chris (2017). The Disneyland Encyclopedia (3rd ed.). Santa Monica Press. pp. 120–122. ISBN 978-1595800909.
  4. ^ abcdef"Circle-Vision/Circarama". D23. The Walt Disney Company. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  5. ^ abcdefg"Circle-Vision 360°". Skyway to Wonderland. August 24, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  6. ^ abIwerks, Don (December 10, 2019). Walt Disney's ultimate inventor: the genius of Ub Iwerks (First hardcover ed.). Los Angeles. ISBN 978-1-4847-4337-9. OCLC 1133108493.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ^"America the Beautiful – 1958 Brussels World's Fair". Designing Disney. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  8. ^Official Expo 67 guide book, page 178. Toronto: Maclean-Hunter Publishing Co. Ltd., 1967.
  9. ^BLYTH, JEFF. (2020). POLISHING THE DRAGONS: making epcot's wonders of china. [S.l.]: BAMBOO FOREST PUBLISHING. ISBN 978-0-9910079-9-8. OCLC 1198720924.
  10. ^"Reflections of China". Walt Disney World Resort. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  11. ^"Netcot.com - O' Canada! film update in the works". Archived from the original on November 21, 2008. Retrieved February 28, 2010.
  12. ^Murray, Emily (June 27, 2022). "Canada Far And Wide In Circle-Vision 360 Overview". DVC Shop. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
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